Mouthpiece for musical wind-instruments



(No Model.)

J. G. INGRAM. MOUTHPIEGE FOR MUSICAL WIND INSTRUMENTS.

No. 516,988. Patented Mar. 20, 1894.

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UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH C. INGR M, or SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

MOUTHPIECE FOR MUSICAL WIND -INSTRUMENTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 516,988, dated March 20, 1894. Application filed December 26, 1891. Renewed February 12, 1894. Serial No. 499,976. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH O. INGRAM, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of San Francisco, State of California, have invented an Improvement in Mouthpieces for Musical Wind-Instruments; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

My invention relates to an improved mouthpiece for musical wind instruments, of which the comet is a representative.

It consists of a raised fillet in conjunction with the flat exterior surface of the mouthpiece, and in certain details of construction which will be more fully explained by referencetotheaccompanyingdrawings,inwhich Figure 1 is a view of my improved mouthpiece. Fig. 2 is a section through the same.

It is well known to all musicians using the class of instruments of which the Cornet is a representative that a narrow edge upon the mouth-piece assists in holding the lips in proper position to produce the requisite tone, but with this made narrow, the necessary pressure to hold the instrument firmly against the lips will soon hurt them. It is, therefore, necessary ordinarily to make the mouth-piece with considerable width of surface against the lips, and this makes it very difficult to prevent the lips slipping and spoiling the tone,

it being necessary to keep in almost constant practice to prevent this.

In my invention,Ais the bell of the mouthpiece for this class of instruments, and B is the circular surface which is placed against the lips. This surface is made of any desired width to give a good support, and prevent the lips being hurt by pressure against them. In order to hold the lips to prevent their slipping upon the mouth-piece, and to prevent the muso cular exhaustion which occurs from long continued elfort to hold the lips in the proper position, I have formed a raised ring or fillet 0 around the inner edge of the mouth-piece surrounding the bell andforming a continuation of its inner surface. This fillet is slightly raised above the level of the flat portion B of the mouth-piece and thus provides a firm hold for the lips against which the instrument may be pressed as hard as necessary without injuring the lips, because the fiat surface extending outwardly from the fillet, forms a proper support for the lips, while allowing the fillet to hold them in position to make the tone.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The improved mouth-piece for musical wind instruments consisting of the bell having the flat surrounding surface against which the lips are placed, and the raised rim or fillet around the inner edge of the bell, substantially as herein described.

2. i As a new article of manufacture, the mouth-piece for wind instruments consisting of the bell having the flat rim against which the lips are placed and a narrow rim or fillet rising from this flat surface around the inner edge, forming a continuation of the inner sides of the bell, substantially as herein described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

JOSEPH C. INGRAM.

Witnesses: S. H. NOURSE,

H. F. AsCHECK. 

